A 60-piece string ensemble library for Kontakt, recorded in a concert hall with aggressive triple-forte and soft pianissimo dynamics, featuring short and long articulations, clusters, and an all-strings patch for cinematic productions.
Purpose and Ensemble
Trailer Strings is a sample library designed for bold, oversized cinematic scores, specifically trailer music. It captures a 60-piece string ensemble, with separate sections of violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, all recorded in the same concert hall as its companion, Trailer Brass. The ensemble is arranged across a wide, centered stage to achieve a modern, massive sound with clarity.
The library emphasizes extreme dynamics, from aggressive fortississimo to delicate pianissimo, providing a broad expressive range. Players were pushed to deliver intense, bow-snapping performances for the loudest articulations, while softer layers offer feathery textures. This combination makes the library suitable for both action-packed cues and subtle, tense passages.
Key Articulations and Programming
The library includes a variety of short and long articulations such as spiccatos, staccatos, marcatos, and sustains. The sustains feature multiple dynamic layers, including sul tasto performances for a whispered tone at softer velocities. The ‘Morph Stacking’ technology helps transitions between articulations sound natural at any note length.
A notable feature is the ‘Adventure’ patch programming available for all four sections, which lets you play melodic, pompous lines quickly in a blockbuster style. For lower strings, there are also cluster effect patches, including atonal snap pizzicatos, behind-the-bridge scrapes, and aleatoric meanderings, ideal for unsettling or muted tones.
Workflow and Interface
Trailer Strings integrates smoothly into a Kontakt-based workflow. The ‘All Strings’ patch maps all articulations across the keyboard, allowing for quick experimentation and composition. You can layer basses and cellos, for example, setting the basses an octave down to create deep, powerful lines. The interface includes controls for adjusting humanization and a ‘To Silence’ feature for performance realism.
The library provides three microphone positions—close, room, and mixed—which allow you to blend direct and ambient sounds to suit your mix, from intimate to cavernous. The ‘Adventure’ patches are particularly useful for sketching ideas rapidly, while the cluster effects add sound design potential without leaving the instrument.
Practical Applications and Limitations
This library is best suited for trailer music, epic film cues, and any production requiring a large, cinematic string sound. Use the aggressive shorts for action sequences, the soft sustains for emotional build-ups, and the cluster effects for moments of tension or horror. The ‘All Strings’ patch encourages playful exploration, helping you discover unexpected combinations.
A key limitation is that it requires the full retail version of Kontakt, not the free player. The library is large, so you need sufficient storage and RAM. Also, the extreme dynamics may not suit softer, more intimate genres without careful mixing. The cluster effects are niche, so they may not be used in every project.
Key features
- 60-piece string ensemble with separate violin, viola, cello, and bass sections
- Triple-forte and pianissimo dynamics, including sul tasto sustains
- Adventure patches for quick melodic, cinematic lines
- Cluster effects for basses and cellos including snap pizzicatos and aleatoric sounds
- All Strings patch with all articulations mapped across the keyboard
- Morph Stacking and adjustable humanization for realism
- Three microphone positions (close, room, mixed)
Best for
Best for composers producing trailer music, epic film scores, or any project demanding a massive, dramatic string ensemble with extreme dynamic range. Its intuitive patches and sound design effects also suit quick ideation and adding tension to hybrid scores.